How to make a life story book
A step-by-step guide to making a life story book for someone living with dementia: what to include, how to lay out pages, and how to use it.
A life story book, made together
Their life story, in a book they can hold
Gather the family's photos and memories online. We turn them into a calm, clear book for Mum or Dad, printed with a sturdy card cover and posted, with a one-page "About me" sheet for carers.
Start your book – from £29.97 See a sample book
From £29.97 including UK delivery, in a choice of three bindings. Nothing is printed until you approve the proof.
The cover and two pages of our sample book. Peggy and her family are fictional.
Pages that feel like them
One large photo, a short heading and a sentence or two in their own voice. Clear, calm and easy to follow.
How it works
Three steps, and the family can help with every one.
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Start the book
Tell us who it's for and the name they like to be called. Short chapters with gentle prompts guide you through growing up, work, family, places and the things they love.
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Invite the family
Share one link on WhatsApp, text or email. Brothers, sisters, grandchildren and old friends add photos and memories, with no account to create. You choose what goes in.
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Approve, and we print it
The pages lay themselves out as you go. Check the PDF proof, then we print and post the book, usually within 5 to 7 working days.
What arrives in the post
Treasurefold is an independent UK service. Your family builds the book online, you approve a PDF proof, and we print it and post it to any UK address, usually within 5 to 7 working days of approval. From £29.97 including delivery.
- An A4 life story book of up to 24 pages, covers included, one photo and a few words on each
- A 300gsm card cover and 100gsm inside pages: the card cover stands up to everyday handling, and the lighter inside pages keep it easy to hold and turn
- Bound the way you choose: stapled £29.97, laminated and comb bound £34.97, or perfect bound £39.97. Only the comb-bound book is laminated, so its pages wipe clean. Compare the bindings
- A one-page "About me" sheet: six short answers, chosen from our questions or your own, such as the name they like, what they enjoy talking about, how they take their tea and what helps them feel calm. Ready for a care file or a hospital bedside
Extra copies start at £10 each: one for home, one for the care home, one for a sibling far away.
Made for families like yours
When a parent moves into care
Staff often ask for a life history at admission. A book on the bedside table helps them see who Mum or Dad really is, from the very first day.
When the family is spread out
Siblings far away want to help. One invite link lets everyone add the photos only they have, and extra copies mean everyone keeps one.
For visits and conversations
A book to look through together gives a visit something gentle to share: a familiar face, a favourite place, a story to tell again.
Why not use a free template?
Free templates from dementia charities are excellent guides to what to include, and we link to them in our guides. The difference is the work left to you.
| Free template | Treasurefold | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, plus printing and laminating | From £29.97 including UK delivery |
| Design and layout | You type, arrange and resize everything | Pages lay themselves out as you type |
| Family photos | Collected by email, saved and inserted by you | Relatives add their own through one link |
| Paper | Whatever your printer takes | A 300gsm card cover and 100gsm inside pages |
| Best for | Families with time, a printer and a laminator | Busy families who want it done well, together |
Would rather make it yourself? Our free printable template is a good place to start.
Designed to be easy to read
The layout follows published dementia-friendly design guidance, and the same rules apply to every page, so nobody has to think about design:
- One large photo per page, always in the same place
- Big, clear lettering in a single typeface made for legibility: captions and headings 36 pt, and nothing you read smaller than 24 pt
- Two strong colours with high contrast and no busy backgrounds
- Short captions in the first person: "I married Jim in 1968"
It isn't a medical product and we make no health claims: it is a conversation starter, and a way for carers to know the person.
Your family's privacy
Your book is private and only reachable through your own links. We never ask about diagnosis or medication.
We delete every photo and answer 30 days after your book is posted. Our privacy promise
Simple prices
From £29.97
including UK delivery. No subscription.
- Stapled £29.97, extra copies £10 each
- Laminated, comb bound £34.97, extra copies £12 each
- Perfect bound £39.97, extra copies £15 each
- Printed A4 book, up to 24 pages, covers included
- One-page "About me" sheet
- Invite links for the whole family
- PDF proof to check before printing
Change your mind before you approve the proof? Full refund.
Questions families ask
What is a life story book?
A life story book is a short, picture-led book about a person: where they grew up, the work they did, the people they love and the things that make them smile. For someone living with dementia it is a gentle conversation starter, and it helps carers, nurses and visitors get to know the person behind the condition.
What do we get, and what does it cost?
A printed A4 book of up to 24 pages, covers included, with a 300gsm card cover and 100gsm inside pages, in the binding you choose: stapled £29.97, laminated and comb bound £34.97, or perfect bound £39.97, with UK delivery included. You also get a one-page "About me" sheet for the care home file or a hospital bedside. Extra copies of the same book are £10 stapled, £12 laminated and comb bound, £15 perfect bound. See pricing to compare the bindings.
Which binding should we choose?
Choose laminated, comb bound (£34.97) if the book will be handled every day, at mealtimes or in a care home lounge: every page wipes clean and it lies flat when open. Choose stapled (£29.97) for the lightest, simplest book. Choose perfect bound (£39.97) if you'd like it to look like a paperback on the shelf. The pages, paper and "About me" sheet are the same in all three, and UK delivery is included.
How long does it take to make?
Most of the work is finding photos and remembering stories. The form takes you one chapter at a time with simple prompts, and the pages lay themselves out as you type, so many families can finish in an evening or two. Relatives can add their photos over a few days whenever suits them.
Can brothers, sisters and grandchildren help?
Yes, that is the idea. You get an invite link to share on WhatsApp, text or email. Relatives and old friends open it, add photos with a short caption, and answer a prompt or two. They don't need to create an account. You see everything they add and choose what goes in the book.
Will we see the book before it is printed?
Yes. When you are happy with the pages you ask for a proof, a PDF of the finished book. Check names, dates, spellings and that photos are the right way up, then approve it or ask for changes. Nothing is printed until you approve.
How long does delivery take?
Your book is printed after you approve the proof and usually arrives within 5 to 7 working days, posted to any UK address. We email you when it is on its way.
What happens to our photos and information?
Your book is private and only reachable through your own links. We use your photos and answers only to make your book, and we delete them 30 days after your book is posted. We never sell or share them. Read the privacy notice.
Do you ask about diagnosis or medication?
No. The book is about a life, not an illness, so there are no questions about diagnosis, medication or medical history. The "About me" sheet covers the everyday things that help carers, in six short answers the family chooses from our questions or writes themselves, such as the name they like to be called, what they enjoy talking about, how they take their tea and what helps them feel calm. We ask families not to add medical details.
Helpful guides
Practical advice for families, drawing on guidance from the NHS and UK dementia charities.
Life story questions to ask
Over 80 gentle life story questions to ask Mum, Dad or a grandparent, organised by chapter, with tips for asking someone living with dementia.
What is life story work?
Life story work records a person's history, people and preferences so carers can know them. What it involves, who does it and how families can help.
Start their book today
Gather the family's photos and memories in one place. We'll turn them into a book they can hold.
Start your book – from £29.97 See a sample book
From £29.97 including UK delivery · three bindings · extra copies from £10 · nothing is printed until you approve the proof